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Sunday, 31 July 2011

Having premiered our well received Treasured Items series well over a month ago, we've found ourselves distracted by the recent flurry of AW11 look books and the unveiling of SS12 products across the continent and beyond. After forty days and nights of the new and the future, we've acquired a thirst for the tangible and items that have a real narrative to them as opposed to being dreamt up by an excited pr. Here, S.E.H Kelly's very own Paul Vincent continues our series of wardrobe tales and reminds us that there really is more to menswear blogging than the goings on at the latest trade show or glimpse of a runway.

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Paul Vincent and the tortoiseshell spectacles

"I've had these frames for several years. Quite how you pack so much bonhomie and character into a few ounces of tortoiseshell I'll never know.

There are so many places to buy spectacles now that, were the worse to happen, a replacement pair probably wouldn't be too tricky to come by. But it'd never be quite the same, would it?" Paul Vincent

Saturday, 30 July 2011

As previously detailed in our interview with the trio of minds behind London's new tradeshow, this time next week Jacket Required will take over the Rochelle School with a heady mix of established and emerging labels. Over the coming days, to help us countdown to the big event, we are previewing a few of the names off of its exciting brand list. Where better to start than Japan's very own Bedwin & The Heartbreakers?

Regular readers should recall that I first encountered Bedwin inside the retail wonder that was The Contemporary Fix. During my recent visit I was able to examine the vast offering of Tokyo's finest including Phenomenon, Visvim, Facetasm, SASQUATCHfabrix and of course Bedwin & The Heartbreakers to name but a few. I've since turned these moments into the Super-8 footage of memory. A few months on and having been enticed by Jacket Required to show in Europe for the very first time. Here we catch up with the mastermind behind the label, Masafumi Watanabe, to talk about the attractiveness of the tradeshow and how he has adapted his collection for the European audience...

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SS: What attracted you to take part in Jacket Required? Masafumi Watanabe: We've been introduced to Jacket Required by our London partner Craig Ford of A Number Of Names and when the opportunity to be a part of the trade show for the first edition and for our first European presentation presented itself it really was a no brainer, we were IN. Because of the people behind it and the fact that it will be taking place in London it became a very attractive project for us.

SS: What are your thoughts and hopes for the tradeshow?Masafumi Watanabe: We would like to introduce Bedwin & The Heartbreakers for the first time in Europe and we believe that a well-curated trade show will be a great platform for us to be connected to the right people.

SS: In terms of your SS12, what was the starting point?Masafumi Watanabe: Due to the specificities of the Japanese Fashion Calendar we couldn't possibly design and present two distinct collections one for Japan and one for Europe at the same time. What we did for our European SS2012 collection is redesign a few Bedwin classic pieces from our past Spring/Summer collection and mix it with pieces designed especially and exclusively for Europe. We aim to introduce what Bedwin Bedwin & The Heartbreakers is about the best way possible by offering to our European followers a vision of our brand and philosophy.

DD: How would you describe the collection in your own words?Masafumi Watanabe: Our SS2012 Collection is representative of what our brand does best, unique yet simple designed garments.

DD: What are you most excited to show?

Masafumi Watanabe: I'm personally very excited about our Chef Jacket. It's a very unique piece and what I love about it is that there's many different way to style it. In addition, the suit with cropped pants ensemble is always one of my favorite looks.

DD: What are your plans for the season ahead?Masafumi Watanabe: We are looking for a very organic growth here in Europe. We want to take our time and present to a new audience our Tokyo lifestyle and our take on men's wear.

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Nearing a decade in production, Bedwin & The Heartbreakers have honed a signature house style that is built around practicality and wearability. The motto is simple. "Paramount Quality." It is this drive for the very best which is evident in each garment. The attention to detail and garment construction is second to none. Here's a sneak peek at SS12...

Look book images courtesy of Bedwin

Quality basics have fast become synonymous with Bedwin & The Heartbreakers. Masafumi Watanabe and his team strive to improve every day pieces season after season, pushing the idea that once a wearer likes a garment they want to wear it all the time. It is a label that revels in simplicity and in the real beauty of menswear, the detail...

Friday, 29 July 2011

For the last four seasons my London Fashion Week has begun with an elongated visit to the ever fruitful, Touba Distrubution curated, Showroom Next Door. Each season, it exemplifies everything that I find exciting about menswear design in London; namely it's diversity and constant sense of sartorial evolution and revolution. It should be little wonder why I'm drawn back season after season. For SS12, they took up residence in Paris during men's fashion week and I could not resist exploring the new season with them. Fode, Yuko and Trevor strive to showcase a diverse collection of international designers but above all seek to provide a platform for both established and exciting new British talents. The SS12 lineup reflects this (with now familiar favourites) including Casely-Hayford, Mr Hare, H By Harris, Bunney and Hannah Martin were joined by Armando Cabral, Chauncey and Giuliano Fujiwara. These are undoubtedly exciting times for menswear and I'm so pleased that there are platforms like the Showroom Next Door that help to showcase the obvious and abundant talent that call this capital of ours at home and abroad.

Now, with covetable rails full of personal favourites, I've often described the space as my dream walk in wardrobe. In Paris, they turned up the lust dial and set the showroom space up as my dream apartment. A selection of real seasonal gems were hung, sprawled and placed throughout four rooms. That homely feeling was only intensified by artwork from Gallery Lazaridis adorning the walls. I would happily move in tomorrow. Over the coming months, I'll no doubt return to each collection in more detail but for now let me take your hand and walk you through the grand designs...

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H By Harris

You should all be familiar with the H by Harris label should by now. Launched in AW09 to great success, designed and manufactured in the UK, it is the brainchild of creative Harris Elliott and heralds the new school in desirable contemporary accessories. Here, Harris experiments further with fabrications and develops a soft, ribbed armour...

The fabric developments for the new season are stunning.

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Bunney

For the last few seasons, Andrew Bunney has been quietly navigating an elegant and refined men's jewellery offering that has left me experimenting. The Bunney offering has evolved from a single item - a large size silver pyramid stud in to something of a magpie's haven. In addition to our our favourite items, the fruits of his search to create bracelets can be enjoyed for the latest season...

Each season Bunney introduces a couple of new items that leave me wanting to experiment.

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Casely-Hayford

With each season, Casely-Hayford begin with their shared desire to capture, play and experiment with the duality of English Sartorialism and British Anarchy. It is an ever intriguing house that encourages change whilst being grounded in tradition. For its AW11 collection collection, the father and son design duo brought together the essence of each of its past five seasons to mark something of a new beginning. For SS12 they continue to move forward and progress their vision of the Casely-Hayford man through a culmination of key elements showcased in previous seasons.

This Casely-Hayford collection really deserves a post of its own and will have one shortly. For SS12, the duo increase their Made in England offering, working with English craftsmen on a range of shirts.

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Hannah Martin

Hannah Martin's The Man Who Knows Everything is a visual dedication to the Comte de St Germain, a man beyond time, beyond scientific limits. Here, Martin strikes an enticing balance between the highly modern and unspeakably ancient. The collection, delirious and drenched in blinding lights, reflects the intensity of Hannah’s latest exploration of narrative masculinity. Here, she presents a range of hyper-real, shamanistic jewels that seem to tell the unspoken tales of the Russian Tsars, secrets from within the courts of Louis the XV...

The Man Who Knows Everything's jewels.

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Chauncey

Creative, minimalist but exclusive, Chauncey prides itself on European craftsmanship. After hearing so many positive things about the label, from bloggers and buyers alike, the AW11 Showroom provided the first opportunity to marvel at in person. I was neither disappointed then nor now. Aside from the rich colour palette there is no eccentricity, just quality and modern design. Extreme precision and the highest quality yarns and manufacturers. An "elegant gentleman traveler" look with a slice of Belgian surrealism. These are knits that your skin longs to touch...

Always feel myself drawn to Chauncey's polka dot knits.

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Armando Cabral

Armando Cabral is a luxury footwear brand that first caught my eye in SS10. The combination of Armando Cabral's innate style and Rucky Zambrano's eye for design and attention to detail has created an elegant addition to the men's footwear market. In quality, the collection offers a full range of classic essentials, hybrid-casual and sport contemporary silhouettes. In only twhree short seasons, there is a sense that Armando Cabral is close to creating a fully rounded collection.

A few new additions to the Armando Cabral offering.

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Gallery Lazarides

Gallery Lazarides is dedicated to emerging international artists who defy categorisation, often existing outside of conventional artistic career structures. Affordable originals, prints, collectibles and books from the Lazarides stable are created via the gallery’s Outsiders division were scattered throughout the apartment. The artwork helped make the space an ever more inviting home.

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Mr Hare

Mr. Hare is a men's shoe company of the modern age. Founded in 2008 due to one man’s selfish pursuit of great shoes we have since been treated to shoes that leave your feet full of longing and dreams. Mr. Hare shoes are handcrafted in Tuscany by Italian geniuses on Mr. Hare’s exclusive British lasts. The materials are only the finest and the high quality has always been given. From collection to collection, there is a definite sense Hare refining his creations as he goes. His brief is to offer shoes for any and every conceivable occasion. Come sun, rain, wind, snow, hurricane, all day, all weather with just a little Mr. Hare flair. With SS12, he takes yet another considered step forward...

Old favourites are joined by a few new additions, most notably these driving shoes which are each signed by their maker, Sergio.

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Giuliano Fujiwara

Since being inaugurated as the designer of Giuliano Fujiwara in 2005, Masataka Matsumura has inherited the label's tradition and desire to innovate as well as cherishing the desire of the brand’s founder, Yoshiaki Fujiwara. The SS12 collection is a fusion of classic and modern, each piece is packed full of detail...

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Style Salvage is blog about how men could (and do) dress. Started back in June 2007, the blog aims to showcase emerging and established design talent alike. It features style commentary, 7 day style diaries, interviews with designers, journalists and shop owners mixed in with the occasional personal style shot.